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| Celtic Radio Community > Ye Ole Celtic Pub - Open all day, all night! > "smart" Beer Mats |
| Posted by: Emmet 01-Oct-2005, 04:46 AM |
| Beer mat knows when it is refill time (CNN) -- Two German students have created a device that will stop beer lovers having to get out of their seats for a refill. The "smart" beer mat, created by Matthias Hahnen and Robert Doerr from Saarland University in Saarbruecken, southwest Germany, can sense when a glass is nearly empty, sending an alert to a central computer behind the bar so waiters know there are thirsty customers. The students' supervising professor, Andreas Butz, told CNN the plastic beer mat had sensor chips, which measured the weight of the glass, embedded inside. When the weight of the glass drops to a certain level, the sensor chips detect that it is close to empty and alerts the bartender via a radio signal. "You could have hundreds of beer glasses in the bar and the beer mat would, for example, tell the bartender, 'table 14 needs a refill,' " Butz told CNN. Unlike the usual cardboard beer mats, the invention is made out of plastic, which means it does not absorb water. Butz said that to get around the problem, ordinary cardboard mats could be placed on top of the plastic version to absorb liquid and display advertising. "Cardboard beer mats could still sit on top of the plastic mat and there could still be advertising, and you would just exchange the cardboard mat when you wanted to change the advertising." The chips inside the mat also measure gravity, and know when the glass has been turned upside down, Butz said. This could be used as a "voting system" during karaoke competitions: patrons could raise their glass if they liked a singer, or flip it over if they did not, Butz said. "You could argue that the voting system is more likely to be positive because people would be sipping their glasses during the course of the song but this would just add to a more positive atmosphere in the pub," he said. Butz, who now works as professor of computer science at the University of Munich, specializes in human computer interaction. He and Michael Schmitz, of Saarland University, presented the idea at the International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing in Tokyo earlier this month. Butz believed it had potential to become a commercial reality. "It's a funny idea but the nice thing about it is these students have followed it through right to the end. They've come up with the idea but they have made it practical -- it is even dishwasher-proof," he said. "They have driven the product all the way to the end. If a brewery came to us now, we could produce something for them in a few months." I much prefer Brigid, Wendy, & Mariah down at Flanagan's Irish Pub. Not only do they draw another pint whenever my glass gets low, they draw a pint the very moment I walk through the door, and they are considerably better company; always a warm smile and a friendly word. What a terribly sad day it would be, to see them replaced by some {expletive deleted} silicon chip! |
| Posted by: CelticCoalition 01-Oct-2005, 08:24 AM |
| I have to agree, I prefer a more social interaction in the bar setting. however, the germans are very serious about their beer drinking, and I know of some areas where this type of system would be nice. Especially in very busy pubs where it may take awhile to get a refill. |
| Posted by: stoirmeil 03-Oct-2005, 09:17 AM |
| I dunno. It's kind of sad. I spent a year in Germany years ago, and the atmosphere in a student Kneipe (watering hole, like) is such fun, raising the stein, yelling for a refill, and the wait help (either sex) coming along with wise cracks and stuff. What if you were in a deep conversation and the beer level got low enough to send a waitperson to your table automatically and all? I just don't know. Intrusive. I'd be taking the device off the table and throwing it on the floor, but I guess it has a sensor for that too. |
| Posted by: Celtic cat 03-Oct-2005, 05:40 PM |
| I don't know if they would be cordial anyway with the mats but they could be. They could still chat but their jobs would be easier. If their jobs are easier, they are happier and theoretically they would provide better service. <------ idea from my business book. |
| Posted by: subhuman 23-Oct-2005, 03:43 AM | ||||
I've heard a lot of bad singers, but never, and I mean NEVER one that was bad enough to make me dump my beer!
Right! I agree 100%!!!! There's no way that silicone could ever improve on the real thi----- hmm... I'll just stop right here.  |